All too often brass and string players quietly bottle up the disappointment of hearing “their” parts performed on keyboards instead of the real thing. Occasionally we get our own back and turn the tables when a producer wants to hear something done differently. This is a Moog synthesizer part transcribed for flugelhorn, adding a little extra tone color and personality to our recording.

I transcribed this in both 6/4 and 12/8 times because I couldn’t decide which was the most appropriate. Ultimately I played the 6/4 version because visually it helped me to think about playing with lots of space…

Resources:

• Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond collab video.
• Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond flugelhorn chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Paul McCartney & Wings recorded this song in the studio without brass, but later added horns to their live performance for obvious reasons. 🙂

I’ve transcribed for trumpet, two saxes, and trombone based on a YouTube video from one of the band’s 1976 live performances. Trombone players don’t grow on trees in this neck of the woods, so for our recording I played the trombone part on bass trumpet.

Resources:

• Paul McCartney & Wings – Jet collab video.
• Paul McCartney & Wings – Jet – charts for trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax, trombone.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

I first heard this tune performed by Sky on a cassette tape that I purchased, back in the day. Masterpieces – The Very Best of Sky was essential listening on my car stereo when I was driving on the open road, away from the distractions of city driving. Carillon was performed by classical guitarist John Williams so beautifully that it never left me, even when the cassette tape did.

Here is my adaptation of Carillon for flugelhorn and trumpets, recorded with a Band-in-a-Box rhythm section.

Resources:

• Sky – Carillon – flugelhorn, trumpet solo video.
• Sky – Carillon – flugelhorn, trumpet charts.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Crazy, as recorded by Gnarls Barkley, does not feature any trumpet. Crazy, right?

That oversight was addressed when we recorded this cover.

A fun project to be a part of too…

Resources:

• Gnarls Barkley – Crazy collab video.
• Gnarls Barkley – Crazy trumpet chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Beautiful flugelhorn solo on this track!

Resources:

• George Michael – You Have Been Loved – flugelhorn chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Building on my earlier adaptation and considering feedback from other trumpet players, this is an EXTENDED adaptation of the Clark Study #2. Once more, the arrangement expands the playing range both up and down from a midpoint. To make play-along a little more interesting for students, the exercise is accompanied by Band-in-a-Box musicians.

This extended version includes repeats and (brief) rests. But if you’re short on practice time you may want to check out my short version.

An audio-only file available for download at Soundcloud.

Resources:

• Clarke Study #2 for B♭ Trumpet – “Expanding Range” EXTENDED video.
• Clarke Study #2 for B♭ Trumpet – “Expanding Range” EXTENDED chart.

Adapted by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

This is an adaptation of the Clark Study #2 for trumpet, arranged to expand the playing range both up and down of a midpoint. To make play-along a little more interesting for students, the exercise is accompanied by Band-in-a-Box musicians.

The audio recording for play-along is available on my YouTube channel.

Resources:

• Clarke Study #2 for B♭ Trumpet – “Expanding Range” video.
• Clarke Study #2 for B♭ Trumpet – “Expanding Range” chart.

Flugelhornists really dig playing in Quasi French Horn mode, from time to time. And this is one of those times.

This pop hit, which in 1999 peaked at #85 here in Australia, even features a trumpet solo in the middle.

Commentary on the original trumpet solo from the Ultimate Euthythmics Archive site:

The power of [producer Andy Wright’s] system is amply illustrated by the trumpet part on ‘I Saved The World Today’. At an early stage of the production they recorded some trumpet jamming along with the track, but the part wasn’t really very well structured, so Andy set to work editing it into shape. He extensively reordered the elements within the two available takes and from these snippets, some less than half a bar long, he constructed the entire solo.

I’d say it’s a very well-constructed solo now! Sadly the original musician was not credited in the liner notes, as happens all too often. But, whoever you are, we thank you for your artistry.

Resources:

• Eurythmics – I Saved the World Today collab video.
• Eurythmics – I Saved the World Today trumpet and flugelhorn chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Some beautiful trumpet work on a beautiful song.

The band Los Pinguos recorded the song Flecha in support of the Playing For Change Foundation. A very noble cause that I’d like to draw some attention to.

Their brief:

Playing For Change (PFC) is a movement created to inspire and connect the world through music, born from the shared belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. The primary focus of PFC is to record and film musicians performing in their natural environments and combine their talents and cultural power in innovative videos called Songs Around The World.

Creating these videos motivated PFC to form the Playing For Change Band — a tangible, traveling representation of its mission, featuring musicians met along their journey; and establish the Playing For Change Foundation — a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting music programs for children around the world. Through these efforts, Playing For Change aims to create hope and inspiration for the future of our planet.

To learn more about the work of the PFC Foundation, visit https://playingforchange.org/

Resources:

• Los Pinguos – Flecha trumpet chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.

A very dramatic Shirley Bassey song, “I (Who Have Nothing”), performed beautifully by my friend Jasmine.

Accompanying Jasmine are Janet on flute, Vicken on guitar, and me on trumpet. But most amazingly Vicken has sequenced the entire orchestra to accompany us!

Here’s the trumpet chart that I transcribed, very closely reflecting the original recording.

• Shirley Bassey – I (Who Have Nothing) collab video.
• Shirley Bassey – I (Who Have Nothing) – Trumpet chart.

Transcribed by me and free for you to use.

What do you think? Please leave a comment and let me know.